Easels



April 25, 1961 v, KNQP 2,981,030

EASELS Filed June 30, 1958 INVENTOR. VICTOR R. KNOP ATTORNEY nits StatesThis invention relates to improvements in easels, and more particularlyto an improved easel especially designed for use by artists and bystudents of drawing and painting employing chalk, crayons and paints astheir media.

While it is well known to provide easels intended for such use withtrays (sometimes called troughs) disposed immediately below the boardportion of the easel and serving as a retaining receptacle for the chalkand crayons being used as drawing media, and to hold the brushes andprovide for the retention in orderly array of the jars of paint used inpainting, such tray also serving as a catch troug for an excess of paintsometimes applied by the young or mischievous student, the prior easeltray construction has not given optimum satisfaction to art teachersand/or school authorities for various reasons. For example, the priorbuilt-in trays could not be fully opened up and hence were difficult toclean. On the other hand, the prior detachable trays, especially afterprolonged use, were diflicult to detach and equally difficult to apply,and also were susceptible to being intentionally or unintentionallydetached by the mischievous child-student.

Stated broadly, an object of the invention is the provision of an easelespecially suited to use by artists and by students of drawing and/orpainting and incorporating a tray for holding the chalk, crayons,brushes and jars of paint constituting the drawing and painting media,the construction and arrangement of said tray being such that it can befully opened up for cleaning, inspection, etc.

More particularly, an object of the invention is the provision of aneasel tray for artists and students easels as aforesaid having simple,inexpensive and fool-proof construction and which is moreover readilycleanable.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an easel tray foreasels of the type designed for use by schools in teaching drawing andpainting, wherein the tray is formed in part of walls or sides which aremovable from normally active or use positions to inactive positions, asresults in the tray being fully opened for inspection, cleaning, etc.

A more particular object of the invention is the provision of aso-called tray construction for artists and students easels having frontand top walls which are removable from the back, bottom and end walls ofthe tray, bot-h independently of and together with one another, wherebythe same basic tray may be employed either as an open-top chalk andcrayon receptacle, or as an open-front paint-jar retainer.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a trayconstruction as last above stated, wherein storage means are providedfor the one of said front and top walls which is removed independentlyof the other of such tray walls.

-,;.The above and other objects and features of advantage of an easeltray construction according to the invention will appear from thefollowing detailed description thereof, taken with the accompanyingdrawing illustrating two different forms of openable tray as hereinproposed, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an easel whose tray is set up for use asan open-top chalk and/or crayon receptacle;

Fig. 2 is a similar view but illustrating the tray set up as anopen-front paint jar retainer;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the removable front wall inplace to close the front side of the tray when used as a paint-jarretainer;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged broken-away view detailing the tray-endconstruction of the tray form illustrated in Figs. 1-3, inclusive; and

Fig. 5 is a similarly enlarged and broken-away view illustrating asecond form of fully openable easel tray according to the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the easel shown for purpose of illustration inFigs. 1-3, inclusive, is of the so-called drawing-board type for use inclassrooms and comprises a pair of identical sections 10, 12 hingedlyconnected at their top edges by hinges 14a, 14b, with each such sectionmounting a drawing board 16 supported in elevated position on legs 18a,18b. It will of course be understood that the easel may be of the typehaving but one of its sections supporting a drawing board, in which casethe other section serves only as an inclined brace for the drawing-boardsection. In the easel shown, the sections 10, 12 are adapted to be heldin oppositely inclined, non-collapsing relation by pivoted straps orarms 20 which are prefer-ably of the type that permit the easel to becollapsed for storage.

Built into each easel section 10, 12 is a so-called tray generallydesignated 22 serving to hold chalk, crayons, brushes, jars of paint,etc., conventionally employed as drawing or artists media in theclassroom teaching of drawing and painting subjects. Such a traystructure is of course horizontally disposed, and it may be secured toits easel-section legs 18a, 18b at a level immediately below the drawingboard 16. According to the form of tray structure illustrated in Figs.1-4, the tray comprises a fixed back wall 24, a fixed bottom wall 26,fixed end walls 30, 32, a removable front wall 34 and a removable topwall 36, of which said top wall is provided with a longitudinal seriesof holes 38 forming socket openings for the reception of a plurality ofpaint jars containing paints of different color.

To insure the aforesaid front and top walls being removab'ly held inplace, with respect to the basic tray structure, preferably the tray endwalls 30, 32 are provided with means forming both a retaining slidewayfor the front wall 34 and a support or rest for the to all 36. Moreparticularly, and as best seen in Fig. 4, each end wall mounts aflange-like retaining strip 40, which extends vertically along the frontedge of said end wall and projects a small distance laterally toward thecompanion end wall, a rectangular end block 42 of lesser height andwidth than the end wall secured flush against the inner face of said endwall, and a horizontal top rail I 44 also secured to the inner face ofsaid end wall sub stantially above the end block 42 and at a somewhathigher level than said retaining strip 40. It will be noted that theforward side edge of the aforesaid endblock 42 is spaced rearwardly fromthe rear side of the associated vertical retaining strip 40 a distanceslightly greater than the thickness of the tray front wall 34, and thatthe forward end of the top rail 44 is also spaced a correspondingdistance from the rear side of said vertical retaining strip 40, thus toform an open mouth 46 which is disposed above the channel-sectionslideway extending between the vertical retaining strip 40 and theend-block 42. Accordingly, there is provided a vertical, open-topslideway for retaining 'the front wall' 34 in'place and through whichsaid front wall may be removed from the tray proper when desired,thus toopen up the front of the tray; and there are also provided msuppareyregthe top horizontal edges of the end blocks 42, renter;

mally' supporting the top wall 36 in place, andlfrofn which the top wallmay beremoved by guiding the satire through the aforesaid slideway mouth46, the stop rails 44 of course serving to prevent uncontrolled removalof said top wall 36. a

According to a further feature of the invention, the tray ends 39, 32are extended downwardly'a limited dis tance below the/level of the fixedbottom wall 26 6f the tray, and to said extended ends are secured anglestrips 48 which extend inwardly toward one another at a level such thatthey are spacedfrom the under face of the fixed bottom wall 26 adistance slightly greater than the thickness of said removable walls 34,36, thus to form with said extended ends a pair' of supporting bracketsserving to support the one or the other of the removable tray walls 34,36 which is removed in'st'orage position.

In use of an easel provided with a tray structure as described, theremovable top wall 36 of the tray may be completely removed and held instorage position by the aforesaid supporting brackets 48, as shown inFig. 1,

in which case the front wall 34 forms with the fixed rear, bottom andend walls of the tray structure a trough-like receptacle for receivingand holding chalk, crayons and the like being used as the drawing media.On the other hand, when using paint as the artists or drawing media, thefront and top walls 34, 36 of the tray structure may be transposed as isshown in Fig. 2; that is, the top or paint-jar retaining wall 36 isplaced in its active position in which it forms a support and retainerfor the plurality of paint jars used in painting, and the front wall 34is removed and placed in the storage position wherein it is held by thebrackets 48. It will'be observed that, when such transposition of theremovable tray walls'34, 36 is elfected, the front side of the tray iscompletely open, so that the space within the tray interior not taken upby the paint jars may be used for the storage of paint brushes, cleaningcloths, etc. On the other hand, and referring to Fig. 3 should thestudent or artist using the easel prefer that the tray be closed at itsfront side while painting, the tray front wall 34 may be taken from itsstorage position and slid into place in the slideway provided by thevertical retaining strips 40 and the end-blocks 42 which support the topwall in place.

In addition to the improved functioning of the tray construction of theinvention resulting from the aforesaid alternate positioning of theremovable top and front walls as explained, even more importantadvantages results from the fact that both the front and top walls ofthe tray may be together removed. In explanation, when both said frontand top walls are removed, the fixed bottom and end walls of the trayconstruction form of themselves a convenient, highly accessible,permanent shelf closed at its ends, disposed directly beneath thedrawing board 16, on which paint jars, brushes, crayons, erasers, etc.may be temporarily placed, and which further may even serve to catchpaint drippings from said drawing board. Another important advantage ofthe herein proposed tray construction is that the remov ability of saidfront and top walls thereof enables one to completely open up the trayfor inspection and clean ing of the interior thereof. Thus, the teacherof the art and painting class is in the favorable position of seeing toit that the trays of all easels used in her classroom are maintainedclean and also free of extraneous or distracting articles not intendedor desired for use in drawingor painting classes. a

Referring to Fig. 5, such illustrates an alternate tray inspection andcleaning. In this modified form" of tray,

the tray front wall 54 and the tray top wall 56 (which latter serves asa paint-jar retainer wall), rather than being completely removable fromthe fixed part of the tray, i.e. the back, bottom and end walls thereof,are instead hinged to said fixed part so that they may be swung to aninactive position as effects full opening-up of the tray interior. Thatis to say, the tray front wall 54 is hingedly connected along its bottomedge to the front edge of the aforesaid fixed tray bottom wall 26 as byhinges 58, so as to be swingable outwardly and downwardly therefrom; andthe top wall 56, whose ends normally rest on the top edges of theaforesaid end blocks 42 as previously described, is hingedly connectedto the rear wall 24 of the tray as by hinges 60 so as to swing upwardlyand rearwardly against said rear wall. Preferably, the hinged front wall54 is held in its active or raised position, and the hinged top wall 56is held in its inactive or raised position, by means of spring latches(not shown). Thus, the Fig. 5 form of tray structure, as with the firstdescribed form, provides for the-tray being open at its top or at itsfront as desired and, more important, for the tray being opened up bothtop and front, as is desirable to facilitate its inspection andcleaning.

Without further analysis, it will be appreciated that an easel trayconstruction as described and illustrated achieves the objectivestherefor as herein previously set forthin simple yet dependable andhighly effective manner. However, as many changes could be made incarrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope ofthe invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the abovedescription or' shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpretedas illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim 2 1. In a drawing-board type easel for classroom use having adrawing board and spaced supporting legs, a tray structure afiixed toand extending horizontally between the legs at a level below the drawingboard, said structure comprising fixed back, bottom and end walls whichtogether and of themselves are adapted to form an article receivingand/or drip catching shelf disposed beneath said board, and top andfront walls coacting in an active position thereof with the aforesaidfixed walls to form a tray closed top and front but being movableindividually of and together with one another to an inactive position inwhich the tray is open at the top or at its front or is fully open topand front, said top wall being provided with a longitudinal series ofholes for the reception of paint jars.

2. In a drawing-board type easel for classroom use having a drawingboard and spaced supporting legs. a tray structure affixed to andextending horizontally between the legs at a level immediately below thedrawing board, said tray structure comprising fixed back, bottom and endwalls which together and of themselves are adapted to form an articlereceiving and/or drip catching shelf disposed beneath said board, bodilyremovable top and front walls, the top wall having a longitudinal seriesof holes for the reception of paint jars, and means forming slidewaysfor guiding said top and front walls to and from their respective activepositions and for normally maintaining them in such positions, theconstruction and arrangement being such that with the top wall removedthe removable front wall forms with the fixed walls an open-toptrough-like receptacle, and that with the front wall removed the topwall forms with saidfixed walls an open-front retainer for paint jars,and that when both top and front walls are removed the tray is fullyopen top and front for ready cleaning.

3. A tray structure substantially as set forth in claim 2, wherein thetray end-walls are provided with means providing a vertical slideway forsaid removable front wall and a combined horizontal slideway and restfor said removable top wall, of the tray structure.

4. A tray structure substantially as set forth in claim 2, wherein thetray end-walls are provided with means providing a vertical slideway forsaid removable front wall and a combined horizontal slideway and restfor said removable top wall, and with a pair of cooperating de pendablebrackets for supporting the one or the other of the removable top andfront walls in storage position upon its removal as aforesaid.

5. In a drawing-board type easel for classroom use having a drawingboard and spaced supporting legs, a tray structure aflixed to andextending horizontally be tween the legs at a level immediately belowthe drawing board, said tray structure comprising fixed back, bottom andend walls which together and of themselves are adapted to form anarticle receiving and/or drip catching shelf disposed beneath saidboard, and top and front walls mounted to swing independently of andtogether with one another from an active position in which they 2inspective and cleaning, that upon the top wall only being swung to itsinactive position the tray is open on top, and that upon the front wallonly being swung to its inactive position the tray is open in front.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,348,262 Brockway Aug. 3, 1920 1,680,056 Mathias Aug. 7, 1928 2,215,881Levensten Sept. 24, 1940 2,405,668 Paxton Aug. 13, 1946

